The Stages of a relationship
by LarielAris
Summary: There were typical stages that a normal and healthy relationship went through. Merlin and Arthur did not start out with a normal relationship.
1. Stage One

**Stage One: "The Prince and the Servant"**

There were typical stages that a normal and healthy relationship went through. First there was was the infatuation phase. That was the point of a relationship where everything was perfect. The second stage was the imperfect phase, which was the point where people started to fight and find faults with each other. The third was the negotiation phase. At that phase invested couples tried to change one an other. The last stage was the commitment phase, where the couple came out stronger and worked out their differences. Merlin and Arthur did not start out with a normal relationship.

Stage one for Merlin and Arthur was the prince and the servant stage. It didn't last very long at all, since Arthur didn't treat Merlin like he treated most servants, and Merlin was never as respectful as they were. It only lasted a few days in fact. It equated more to the getting to know each other stage. Arthur and Merlin were mainly stuck in this stage when they were around others. Arthur would act as if Merlin was nothing more than just another servant to him, and Merlin would in turn try and treat Arthur like a prince. Of course Merlin was never very good at that. He did try at first.

Merlin's first day as Arthur's manservant was rather pivotal in their relationship. Normally it would set the tone for the whole relationship. Of course that was with normal people, not Merlin and Arthur. In fact the first days of Merlin's servitude to Arthur only served to make the prince more curious as to what lay underneath that sarcastic, pasty exterior. Arthur had never had complaints with the castle servants before Merlin came along. He was content with the spineless boot lickers. They did exactly as told, never argued, and basically let him walk all over them. Merlin, on the other hand, had no issue with arguing with Arthur, or even insulting the prince.

It wasn't until later that Arthur realized that Merlin actually made him a better person, and a better prince. However, he couldn't say he did the same with Merlin's skill as a servant. At least Arthur would never admit to it. He would always insist that Merlin was the most useless and incompetent servant ever, even if over time Merlin had proved to be the most loyal and kind person Arthur had ever known.


	2. Stage Two

**Stage Two: "The Prat and The Idiot"**

For Merlin and Arthur the second stage of their relationship was actually more normal. Like most people it was the imperfect stage, or the prat and the idiot stage. This was the point where they both found every fault with the other they could. When it came to normal relationships this was the stage where things usually ended with some couples, but between Merlin and Arthur their bond only grew.

It was at this point in their relationship that Merlin began coming up with names for Arthur. His favorite was definitely prat, but he had a whole slew of them just for Arthur. It was also at this point that Arthur himself had come to believe that Merlin was a lazy idiot. Truth was that they were both wrong, but neither would admit to it. It was still rather fun for both of them to point out each other's faults. Every time Merlin took a step out of line, Arthur would remind the raven how much of an idiot he was. In turn every time Arthur did something that Merlin didn't like, the raven didn't hesitate to jump on the blond and remind him what a prat he was.

For all outward appearances this was the stage that lasted the longest, but in truth it was even shorter than the last stage. To everyone else it probably seemed to last much longer. Most people, those that didn't really know Merlin and Arthur, would still assume the two hated each other at this stage.

The first time Merlin called Arthur a prat he definitely meant it, but over time the meaning of the term shifted. As they grew closer over time, Merlin used the term more to remind Arthur to not be like that. Arthur calling Merlin an idiot was much the same. He'd meant it at first, but over time it had become more of a term of endearment. All the nicknames they had for each other were.


	3. Stage Three

**Stage Three: "Arthur and Merlin"**

Most relationships go through the four stages, but Arthur and Merlin only went through three. The last stage of their relationship was the Arthur and Merlin stage. It was just like a normal couple's commitment stage. Whereas it could take normal couples year and years to reach this stage it only took Arthur and Merlin a couple months. Truth be told they still acted like prince and servant sometimes, and they definitely called each other names whenever they could.

It was really at this point in their relationship that Merlin began to believe what the great dragon told him. Though it had only been a short time, he had gotten to see the real Arthur. He'd gotten to see the man who would one day be the greatest king of legend. This was the point that Merlin committed himself to serving Arthur for the rest of his life.

While Merlin began to believe in Arthur and who he would be, Arthur began to learn what kind of man Merlin was. Though Merlin argued with him, and had a tendency to not get his chores accomplished when Arthur wanted him to, he also proved to be more loyal than anyone Arthur had ever met. This was also the point where Arthur learned he was willing to risk his life for Merlin just as much as Merlin would risk his for Arthur.

It was also at this stage of their relationship that Merlin and Arthur both started to have deeper feeling for each other. Of course neither of them realized it at the time, but this was when it started to become apparent to outsiders. Anyone who looked at the way the two interacted could tell if they weren't in as much denial as Arthur and Merlin were.

This was the point in their lives where Arthur and Merlin got to see each other as just Arthur and Merlin. It was at this point that the two could see they were more then a prince and a servant of a prat and an idiot. This was the stage where they both actually felt they were two sides of the same coin, where they started to realize that they were soul mates.


End file.
